Ever since he has been freed from Lucifer's reigns Castiel liked to spend most of his time outside. He liked the brush of breeze against his skin, realising that he had missed the enjoyment of such trivial aspects when he was trapped inside his own body - it extended his guilt over Jimmy Novak more.

Outside, Castiel also did not feel as confined as he did when Lucifer was sharing his vessel. There were no walls and he was permitted to do as he pleased.

He heard the soft flap of wings behind him, but Castiel did not even flinch. He was very familiar with the high and spontaneous energy.

"I knew that you couldn't really be gone."

"Seriously? I sacrificed myself for the great of good and you're not even going to say that you missed me?"

"You've deceived me too often in similar ways, Gabriel" Castiel reasoned. "Even when I was a fledgling and Michael asked you to watch over me."

"I wasn't just going to sit around and be a glorified babysitter for eternity" Gabriel scoffed. "Faked my own death and got to go off and create the platypus instead! People are way more grateful for that."

Castiel allowed his lips to twitch upwards with amusement.

"What are you doing here anyway? Isn't it risky to let your whereabouts be so obvious?"

"It's worth it to check on my little bro" Gabriel claimed as went to sit next to Castiel on the hood of the Impala.

"Really? Then where were you when Lucifer was actually possessing me?" Castiel countered.

"Why'd you say yes in the first place?!" Gabriel responded heatedly. "Seriously, Cassie, how dumb could you be? Lucifer could have destroyed the earth! He...he could have destroyed you."

"He almost did" Castiel confessed. "And I regret my decision. Sam and Dean made me realise that. That I am not expendable."

"Cas..." Gabriel said with somewhat concerning seriousness as he placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Yeah, you may have screwed up the universe a few times, and those two big doofs of yours had to rope in your awesome big brother - who almost died - the try save it, but you've also protected it. So you are certainly not expendable. And if those jerks ever make you feel like that again, you let me know, and they might find some lit firecrackers sticking out of their asses."

Castiel let out a rare laugh. It had been so long since he had managed to find humour in anything; he was grateful to Gabriel for that.

"Do you really mean that?"

"Sure, no one gets to mess with my little brother but me" Gabriel jibed as he ruffled Castiel's hair.

Castiel turned and gave him an unimpressed look. Gabriel attempted to look innocent. Castiel supposed it wouldn't be fair to expect his brother to be serious for too long.

The younger angel looked back out across the landscape and sighed.

"I'm tired, Gabriel."

"Understandable" Gabriel said. "You've had a devil of time recently" he grinned. "You're right, too soon" he added when Castiel just sighed and shook his head.

Gabriel wrapped an arm around his younger brother's waist and pulled him so that Castiel's head rested on the archangel's shoulder. The younger angel didn't even consider how unusual the tender gesture was coming from Gabriel; he simply relished in the comfort – knowing that his older brother was watching over him now - and closed his eyes with content.

"Rest now, brother" Gabriel urged. "We have all the time in the world now."

They stayed like that for hours.